MBTA Providence/Stoughton Line (InterLink) · 15 min to Providence / 75–90 min to South Station
Where they are
One map, pinned from each airport’s published coordinates.
Category scores
Overall is the published weighted sum. A highlighted score is ahead; a tie stays plain.
Ease of use
25% · Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
MVY8.2
PVD8.3+0.1
Comfort & amenities
20% · Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
MVY7.2+0.1
PVD7.1
Food & retail
15% · Food and retail quality and variety.
MVY7.0+0.4
PVD6.6
Ground access
15% · Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
MVY7.6
PVD8.3+0.7
Reliability
15% · Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
MVY6.8
PVD6.8
Lounges
10% · Worth-it density and access quality.
MVY2.0
PVD6.4+4.4
Best for
MVY
Island arrivals that stay on MVY instead of the Steamship plus a second airportCape Air year-round hops from BOS, HYA, ACK, EWB, HPN, or JFKTravelers who can ride fare-free VTA Routes 6 / 7 / 9 instead of renting
PVD
Logan refugees who will take a $2 RIPTA or a weekday MBTA train instead of I-90 trafficPriority Pass / Amex Platinum holders departing before 19:00CLEAR + PreCheck on the 05:00–07:00 bankDrivers who will actually use Lot E at the live $22/day, not a 2021 coupon
Watch out for
MVY
Official leftover-prints a 2-hour summer TSA window and no wait clockNo passenger lounge, no Priority Pass pin, and American leftover-prints PreCheck Not AvailableLive 2026 terminal rebuild leftover-prints the east baggage / rental footprint closedDo not merge ACK, HYA, EWB, Katama, or leftover Trade Wind Airport
PVD
Escape Lounge closes 19:00 — late Breeze and Southwest banks have no loungeMBTA from InterLink is weekday-only on the official airport page; Saturday is RIPTA or a carMain runway 5/23 rehab is done for flights (back to normal 16 Oct 2026); older reports of a 16/34-only airfield are out of dateCabo Verde check-in is 3.5 hours / closes 60 minutes — treat it as an international departure, not a Boston shuttle
Treat the official summer window as two hours, not a Cape Air hop
Official homepage leftover-prints TSA and MVY recommend arriving 2 hours before departure in the summer season. Official pages print no TSA wait clock.
Stay in the 71 Airport Road hall — the east side is in a live rebuild
Official pages print one Dukes County passenger terminal. Gazette leftover-prints the east baggage-claim / rental-car footprint closed for a $50 million rebuild, with rental counters in a parking-lot trailer.
Eat at Plane View before TSA — Altitude is seasonal grab-and-go only
Official Dining leftover-prints Plane View pre-security next to the ticket counters, breakfast and lunch seven days, and Altitude seasonal post-security grab-and-go.
PVD
Escape Lounge (Gate 18)InterLink rail and RIPTAPVD Free WIFI (Boingo)Local concourse foodNursing rooms and Hope Reflection RoomOvernight seating
Two hours for the 06:00–08:00 and 16:00–18:00 banks
Official RIAC travel tips: those two windows are peak at PVD; arrive two hours out, and do the same during school-vacation weeks.
One checkpoint, then pick North or South before you sit
Upper-level TSA feeds both concourses. Escape Lounge, Dunkin, Spring House, and Saugy are North; Federal Hill and Napatree are South by Gates 7–8.
Eat on the concourse your airline actually uses
Official live list: Federal Hill (South 7–8) and Narragansett Kitchen / Spring House / Saugy (North 11–16). Both Dunkins open 04:00.
MVY · A one-hall Dukes County island field with year-round Cape Air, a short seasonal jet bank, $25 summer parking, Plane View before TSA, and no lounge — plus a live terminal rebuild.
PVD · A genuinely easy New England alternative to Logan — one checkpoint, CLEAR, a real Escape Lounge, $2 buses, and weekday rail in the building — undone by a 19:00 lounge close and a 2026 primary-runway rehab that cut seats.
